A Collection of Stories behind the Ukuleles

SuzukHammer

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I am young in the process of learning uke; however, it appears that some of the ukes I am seeking have a story. I am in process of obtaining some ukes and putting together the story(s).

I got to thinking. It'd be nice to read some stories about other people's ukes.

Put them here. Collect the stories here.

I'l be posting mine shortly.
 
I have waited all day for the stories behind the ukuleles. Where are the stories? I am so new with the uke, I don't have much of a story. I bought a $20 used uke off ebay and actually it is an awesome little ukulele and in hindsight I upgraded too soon. I visited the local music store everyday during lunch break for weeks playing with the uke's. Since I couldn't play but a some random chords I had one of the employees play a short song on all the ukuleles I was interested in. It was hard a choice between a mahogny concert and Koa soprano. I picked the Koa soprano because it felt better, was more playable for me. It has a beautiful classic bright ukulele sound and it is very pretty. I love my uke and find myself bonded to it while at the same time hating to give up on my $20 uke. I have put the $20 uke away and will be giving it to my daughter-in-law for Christmas. I purchased an entry level concert uke for my son for Christmas. Both play guitar and have expressed an interest in learning the ukulele.
Rox
 
Mine is here with an addendum...
http://imhtck.blogspot.com/2010/08/old-ukulele.html
since the two I bought for my wife and I, and the return of the Martin, I have built a Cigar Box, have another in the works and a resonator cigar box started, and bought a Flame Spalted Maple Kala tenor today. Fortunately my wife forgives me for all of this. I have played the accordion forever and there must be 20 of them laying around here, so I guess she knew what was going to happen...unfortunately the squeezeboxes are getting awfully lonely, but I love the jumping flea even more (did I say that?)
 
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After the accordion I was so happy to be able to purchase a really nice new uku for 1/4 of the cost of my just decent accordion that is 50 years old. I can easily buy 1/2 dozen good ukes for what my two old accordions cost me. Your wife is probaly so happy it is ukes instead of accordions you are now buying.
 
My mother played accordian. I learned some harmonica and I was leaning on learning the squeeze box; but, luckily I found the uke in time.

I'm working on sending ukes to my sister and my niece so we can skype and learn some songs together. I've been away from the family ever since I went to college. I need to make an effort to get back with the family via playing uke together. Uke is how I envision it We'll see. Its not always everybody's vision.

My second uke purchase was of a Eleuke here locally. THey didn't want to sell it to me because it was a display but I talked them into it. One of the original electrical ukes that got me interested in plug in electric ukes was a Kwave TElecaster played by Ukisociety on Youtube. Well, it became available and I bought it. It dazzles my mind that one of my wants was somehow made available for me. I know it wasn't fun for Ukisociety to let go of that; but, I just feel fortunate to be able to enjoy something that is cool. BTW, I saw an old youtube video of HOODOO Gurus lead man playing that telecaster guitar and the Kwave uke looks just like it. The eleuke I had was first painted by me and then we took off that paint job and my wife painted a new scene for me. There is absolutely no plans to get paint near the Kwave.
 
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Well, growing up, my grandfather had quite a few ukuleles. As I got better, he ended up giving me a ukulele. So growing up, it always sat on top of our piano and we could pick it up at anytime. I don't even know what brand it was. I'm pretty sure the sticker had fallen off from inside the sound hole.

Last year, I was in the studio working with a group of guys on an arrangement for an original Christmas song and we decided to track some ukulele parts. The studio had a ukulele laying around and it seemed like it was worth a try. Unfortunately, the intonation was so bad on it that it sounded horrible when we tracked it. However, from what we heard, we liked the feel the ukulele brought. What we ended up doing was have a local guitar maker in the area build us a tenor ukulele for the project. It sounded really sweet. Needless to say, it's been happily mine to this day. :)
 
a long road to my Ukes. When I was a kid my Dad played guitar quite well and had his own band and played a lot of dance gigs until reality set in and he had to make more money to support the family, so he gave up the gig routine, but would never teach me to play the guitar, so I started piano lessons when I was seven (I am now 72) and have played the piano my whole life. I started teaching myself guitar about 10 years ago and have become acceptable in playing to my family and friends, but three years ago wifey and I took a trip to Hawaii to see our kids, and I became interested in the Ukes I saw and heard there. So I bought a cheap Makala Baritone with case and hauled it back home on the plane as carry on. So the first year I just played around with it, and the more I plunked the more attracted and attached i became to it, so I decided I might as well go all in and bought two tenors , and Oscar Schmidt and a Kala, and have them tuned to high g and low g. I also decided to tune my Bari to GCEA with low G as well. I haven't touched my Guitar in two years, except the other day I thought, well I will just get it out and see how it feels, WOW Like picking up an elephant!! I immediately put it away and probably will never pick it up again. And it is a Martin D. I also now have my youngest granddaughter (12) interested in learning the uke to accompany her nice singing voice. Her Dad is an accomplished guitar player and musician, so I don't know how that will set with him yet. Anyway that is my story, and I stand by it. Lozark
 
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